If you're feeling stuck or unhappy in your current job, you might be thinking about making a career change. But how do you find the perfect fit for your skills, interests, and goals? Here are some tips to help you explore your options and make a smooth transition.
Before you start looking for a new career, you need to have a clear idea of what you're good at and what you care about. Think about your past achievements, feedback, and challenges. What skills and qualities did you use or develop? What did you enjoy or dislike? What motivated or frustrated you? Write down your answers and look for patterns and themes. This will help you identify your core competencies and values.
On top of thinking of past examples that you performed well or not well, it is surely helpful to start observing yourself as of the moment that you feel the urge to make a career change. It is crucial to collect clues of the present regarding what you feel, e.g. is it discomfort? Why is this feeling coming to you? Is it productive? Also, to make sense out of what you think it is important to make a list of things you like doing, a list of thing that you are good at and a list things that you can get paid for and after finishing writing down things, look what these 3 lists have in common and what it takes to actualize them (a.k.a. ikigai).
Once you have a list of your strengths and values, you can start researching potential careers that match them. You can use online tools, such as career quizzes, job boards, or industry blogs, to discover different roles and sectors. You can also network with people who work in the fields you're interested in, either online or offline. Ask them about their responsibilities, challenges, rewards, and career paths. Find out what skills, qualifications, and experience they need and how they acquired them.
If networking with people of the industry is not possible (for example they are not responsive), you can always check their LinkedIn resumes and collect valuable input. For example what education and certificates they took what was their first step to start their career and what path did they follow.
After you have some career options in mind, you need to evaluate how well they fit your goals, preferences, and lifestyle. Consider factors such as salary, growth potential, work environment, culture, and flexibility. How do they align with your personal and professional aspirations? How do they suit your personality and work style? How do they balance your needs and wants? You also need to assess your gaps and how you can fill them. What skills, knowledge, or credentials do you need to acquire or improve? How can you demonstrate or showcase them to potential employers?
I think before you make your career move, take a moment to consider how your current expertise can add value to your new path. And most importantly, ask yourself if your potential new carreer truly excites you. Think about the knowledge and skills you might need to acquire beforehand.
Once you have a clear vision of your desired career, you need to plan your transition. You can start by updating your resume, cover letter, and online profile to highlight your relevant skills and achievements. You can also create a portfolio or a website to showcase your work samples or projects. You can also look for opportunities to gain experience or exposure in your chosen field, such as volunteering, freelancing, interning, or taking courses. You can also reach out to your network and ask for referrals, recommendations, or introductions.
Finally, you need to test and refine your career change strategy. You can do this by applying for jobs, attending interviews, and getting feedback. You can also solicit advice from mentors, coaches, or peers who have made successful career changes. You can learn from their experiences, insights, and tips. You can also monitor your progress and adjust your actions accordingly. You can celebrate your wins, learn from your setbacks, and keep moving forward.
One also has to plan to address future scenarios for which one cannot prepare. My previous boss Prof. Olli Pekka Hilmola threatened me with criminal investigations without any reason! Soon after I found out he did business with Russia....
During the decision process which is the most crucial, sometimes we seem unable to find a solution, make ends meet, find a common ground... Important is to always look for creative ways to rethink things for example take a A3 paper and visualize ideas and things, draw interconnections, draw paths etc.